Next Month's Riverfront Jazz Festival Will Join Up-and-comers With Stars Like Erykah Badu

What have you been hearing about the Riverfront Jazz Festival that The Black Academy of Arts and Letters will present next month? Most likely, you've not heard enough.The three-day event on three stages is poising itself to line up with some of the better-known jazz festivals across the country. Promoters say the festival will be a first in the Dallas area and will feature jazz, soul, blues, R&B, hip-hop, and neo-soul music.The action will take place Sept. 1-3 at the Texas Horse Park -- one of Dallas' best-kept secrets, at 811 Pemberton Hill Road in the city's Pleasant Grove community. Performances will begin at 7 p.m. Sept. 1 and 1 p.m. Sept. 2-3. (The 302-acre equestrian park itself is a treasure, featuring horse-riding classes, trail rides, kids' parties, a petting zoo, school tours, picnics, weddings and corporate events.)More than 30 internationally known and local musicians, plus several dozen up and coming young artists will entertain audiences. Activities will include talk-back sessions between artists and the public, midnight jazz jams, and free entertainment at six downtown hotels where many out-of-town visitors will stay.Vendors will include top Dallas chefs and State Fair of Texas food competitors. Festival proceeds will benefit the Youth Arts in Education Program at The Black Academy of Arts and Letters, as well as the academy's general operations.Curtis King, founder and president of the academy and the festival's creator and producer, said in promotional materials that Dallas, with its western history, arts and museum scene, and shopping, sports and dining attractions, is an ideal city to host the festival. The event will allow the academy "to build on our national and local brand," he said.An opening ceremony will kick off each day of the festival. Three stages will feature jazz, blues/soul and young artist performances. Festival honorary chairs who will perform include Erykah Badu, Will Downing and Najee. A memorial tribute will be held for popular jazz guitarist Chuck Loeb, who had been scheduled to play at the festival but died July 31.Other entertainers will include Mary Wilson, Ruben Studdard, Yarborough and Peoples, Freda Payne, Lucky Peterson, Shaun Martin, R.L. Griffin, Eloise Laws, Rachelle Ferrell, Martha Wash, Jonathan Butler, Wanda King and Joseph Vincelli.Hosts will include local media personalities Steve Pickett, Wes Smooth, Scott Padgett and Ken Molestina, and comedians Freddie Ricks and "Indie-Mom" Meshelle.Tickets are available at Ticketmaster, 800-745-3000, and the academy box office, 214-743-2400. General admission prices are $50 pre-sale, $60 at the door, $125 for VIP seating and $135 for a weekend pass. To purchase a festival booth for seating, call 214-743-2452.Jazz jam tickets are $20 each night. The free jams will be from midnight to 2 a.m. Sept. 2 and 3 at the academy. Amateur musicians may bring their instruments and sign up to join the jams.The academy also is seeking volunteers to help with festival operations. The next planning meetings for volunteers will be at 6:30 p.m. Thursday and Aug. 24 and at 7 p.m. Aug. 28, all at the academy, which is at Canton and Akard streets in downtown Dallas.To learn more, visit www.TbaalRiverfrontJazzFestival.org.ABOUT TOWN: The Dallas Regional Chamber of Commerce will present its annual Congressional Forum from noon to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Hilton Anatole, 2201 N. Stemmons Freeway. Panelists will include U.S. Reps. Joe Barton (R-Arlington), Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Dallas), Pete Sessions (R-Dallas) and Marc Veasey (D-Fort Worth), who will discuss topics including the federal budget and environmental regulations. To learn more, visit www.dallaschamber.org.  Continue reading...